


Falling

by JKlog



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Episode Related, Episode: s04e08 The Sentinel by Blair Sandburg, M/M, Sentinel Bingo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-08
Updated: 2018-06-08
Packaged: 2019-05-19 20:56:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14881055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JKlog/pseuds/JKlog
Summary: Blair and Jim fall in love and someone falls from a roof...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Bluewolf for the wonderful beta and for her wonderful ideas too.  
> Without her help this story would be much worse. :-)

**Chapter 1 - Prompt: falling out of love**

 

Jim had just left the loft, after saying he wanted to get rid of the senses and lead a normal life. Naomi was left with the cup of tea, which she had prepared for Jim, in her hands. Blair lowered his head, looking at the ground and barely contained his desire to start crying.

"It's a pity he doesn’t value his gift," Naomi said.

Blair raised his head and looked directly at his mother. "What is a pity is that my thesis reached Sid Graham. Who is that guy, after all?"

"He was my boyfriend, some time ago, in New York. We were in a relationship for a while, until I realized I was falling out of love with him," Naomi replied.

Blair lowered his head again, muttering, "It's the opposite of what's happening to me."

"What do you say, sweetie? Are you falling in love?"

They spent a moment in silence, with Naomi looking worriedly at her son, who was still looking at the ground.

"Yes, Mom, I'm falling in love," Blair said as he looked up again, his expression somber.

"With Jim?"

Blair smiled sadly.

"You were always so perceptive, Mom."

Naomi got close to him and hugged him.

"Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry. This must be so painful for you."

The young man felt something break inside him and wept over his mother's shoulder. He knew he could allow himself to break in her presence. She was going to understand it.

Finally, after letting all his turbulent emotions flow, he calmed down and parted a bit from her mother to dry his tears.

"Mom, you can’t tell anyone, but especially Jim. He least of all should know."

Naomi widened her eyes and said, "I know I didn’t act as I should with your dissertation. I know I was indiscreet. But as for your feelings, I'm not. I would never disappoint you like that, sweetie."

"I know, mom. I know you won’t say anything. It's just that I'm so afraid of losing Jim's friendship. It's all I can aspire to. And now that is in danger."

Blair lowered his head, overcome by the sadness caused by the possibility of losing his best friend. He had to do something about it, even at the cost of his own happiness. And he had some idea of what it could be.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 - Prompt: personal space**

 

Jim still couldn’t believe what had happened. What his best friend had sacrificed for him. Because without a doubt Blair was his best friend. That's why he wanted him at his side, in the loft and at work. Blair would be his official partner.

Blair had said that his dissertation was a fraud and now nobody thought Jim was a Sentinel. Well, nobody except for the co-workers of Major Crimes that already knew, and those who suspected.

The important thing was that Sandburg's academic reputation had been left at zero. Or less than zero. That side of his life had been definitively closed. So now he had to build a new aspect of his life. Although in reality it would be more a continuation of his life as an observer, only now he would be a proper detective. Jim was determined to help his friend rebuild his life and earn a well-deserved reputation as a policeman. He had no doubt that that would be difficult at first, considering what had happened at the press conference. But Jim also thought that over time the waters would calm down. People would forget what had happened. Then they could go on with their lives as normal.

 

.......................................

 

The Police Academy was easy for Blair, although the training for weapons management was not something he liked. He tried to see it as the one negative aspect out of all the positive things his new profession would bring him. Between the positive, and excelling at everything, was the fact that he would be Jim's official partner. Nobody could tell him: "You are not a cop, Sandburg."

He could remember the conversation he had had with Daryl about his desire to follow in his father's footsteps and become a policeman. Daryl’s main incentive was to make a difference in the world, to fight for a better world, like Simon. Now Blair could make those arguments his. Maybe as a policeman he would have more opportunities to do the right thing and improve things for many people than he could have done as an anthropologist. He had told his mother that he thought that everything happened for a reason, nothing was left to chance. So this new stage of his life had a purpose, he was sure.

 

………………………………………….

 

Jim hadn’t noticed before, but Sandburg seemed to have no notion of personal space as far as he was concerned. He was almost always close to him. Although, in reality, it didn’t bother him. This was strange to him. Why didn’t it bother him? He would say something about it to Sandburg at some point - surely he would have a theory about that?

At this time, they were very busy. They had been on a stakeout several hours into the night, and around 3 in the morning, there was a movement in the house they were watching. A car had parked in front and the criminal they were looking for had come down, a hit man. They had waited for him to enter the house and had gotten out of the truck, after asking for backup. They were hidden against the wall of an adjoining building, Jim, holding his gun with both hands and Blair behind him, glued to him, also with his gun in both hands.

"Do you hear something, Jim?" Blair muttered.

"Yes, they are talking about their next job." And he put a finger to his lips to indicate to his partner that he needed silence.

 _I want fifty thousand to close the deal and a hundred thousand after the job is done_ , said Ashton Williams, the killer.

 _Okay_ , a woman answered, _I'll tell the boss._

 _I think it's a fair price, considering that the target is double,_ Williams said.

_Yes, the boss wants both of them dead. We hope you don’t fail. You don’t have problems killing cops, do you?_

Hearing that, Jim's blood froze. They were planning to kill two cops. He expected them to say the names in order to protect them.

 _If the pay is good, I'll do what I have to do_ , Williams answered.

_Here you have their names, where they live, which precinct they work, etc. so you can find them easily._

Jim detected an acceleration of Williams's heart rate. It seemed he didn’t like who he was going to have to kill.

_This is going to be more difficult than I thought. I'm going to have to double the price._

_Okay,_ replied the woman, _I'll check with the boss._

At that moment, the backup arrived with sirens. Jim was able to filter the sound and heard Williams and the woman leave through a back door.

Jim instructed a patrol to circle the block. He went running, followed by Blair, who didn’t stop asking questions. But Jim couldn’t answer him, the criminals were escaping.

When they reached the other side of the block, where Williams and the woman had left, they saw that their targets were leaving in a white car with no license plate. Jim shot them, but he couldn’t stop them. The patrol followed them. Shots were exchanged.

Suddenly, Jim saw a white piece of paper lying in the middle of the street. He went to check it, just in case it was important. It was an envelope. He opened it. Inside was a paper, also white. Jim dialed down his sight to see better what was written on it. When he saw it, if before his blood had frozen, now his whole being, including his wonderful senses, froze.

Blair approached him and took the paper from his hands.

"What is this, Jim? I don’t understand. It has our names and data."

Jim looked at him, gritting his teeth, the muscle of his jaw jumping with tension. A tremor ran through his body. Finally, he could talk.

"Someone wants us dead, partner."

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 - Prompt: Sight**

 

The patrol that was chasing the white car was shot on a wheel and hit a streetlight pole. So the criminals escaped.

With the corresponding search warrant, they could check the house where the pair had met. That way, they were able to fill in the information gaps in what Jim's informant had told him. The name of the person who lived in that house was Sophia Haggard. She lived with her husband, John Haggard, who was also missing. Captain Banks put an APB for both and for Williams.

But they couldn’t gather information about who was the boss the woman was referring to. They would have to wait to capture someone to make him speak.

Captain Simon Banks was very worried after hearing what his best detective told him about what he had heard in the house and what it said in that paper that Ashton Williams had dropped on the street, and that Ellison had seen from a great distance thanks to his exceptional sight.

"I'm going to have to put you in a safe house, under surveillance. I don’t want anything to happen to you," Banks said. He was in his office in Major Crimes, along with his best detective team, Ellison and Sandburg.

"Sir, with all due respect, you can‘t take us off the case. Only Jim and I can solve it," Blair said.

Banks frowned. "I'm not saying I'm going to take you off the case, but obviously you can’t go back to the loft. It's very dangerous."

"He's right, Chief. We can’t go to the loft. We would have to change vehicles too."

"I think it's a good idea, Jim. I'll make arrangements immediately," Banks said and picked up the phone.

 

...............................................

 

They were given a 1984 Jeep Cherokee, red. Both were quite satisfied with the vehicle. Banks judged that it wasn’t necessary for Blair to have his own car, since they were going to mobilize together, mostly.

The safe house was quite comfortable, had a single bedroom that they would have to share. Trusted policemen were going to watch the house, day and night.

Gathered in Major Crimes with Banks, Megan Connor, Rafe, Brown and Taggart, Jim and Blair hypothesized who could be the one who had ordered their murders. Pictures of Ashton Williams and Sophia Haggard were distributed. There were several criminals in prison who could have given the order, and who, unfortunately, had the resources to pay a lot of money for it. Dominick Lazar was one of them. And his son Vincent.

When this possibility was discussed, a chill ran through Blair's whole body. He didn’t know how, or why, but he had a feeling about the Lazars. Something told him that they were the ones who wanted them dead. But he had nothing but that instinctive feeling to go on, so he decided not to say anything.

But he was going to tell Jim. He didn’t know if his friend would take him seriously or not, but he was going to try.

 

.....................................

 

They were in their bedroom, each in his bed. Jim had already turned off the light that was on his bedside table. He was lying with his back to Blair.

"Jim, are you asleep?" Blair muttered.

"Yes, I'm asleep, Sandburg. Sleep yourself too."

"I have to tell you something."

"You tell me tomorrow."

"It’s important."

Jim rolled over in his bed to see Blair's face.

"Why didn’t you tell me before, if it's that important?"

"I'm sorry, I didn’t know how to tell you." And he was silent for a moment.

"What, Sandburg?"

"I have a feeling. Very strong. It seems to me that those who want to kill us are the Lazars."

"A feeling?"

"Yes."

"Sandburg, I know that Incacha passed you the way of the shaman and all that, but anyway, that doesn’t give you divination powers or whatever they are called."

"Yes, I know I don’t have special powers, but I know it's the Lazars. I just know."

"And why would they want to kill you, if you weren’t a detective at that time?"

"But I was there, and I helped you."

This time Jim was silent, thinking.

"You're right. You helped me. Even against my will. I'll tell you one thing. Tomorrow we’ll investigate who the Lazars have been seeing in prison. Okay?"

Blair smiled. "Okay, Jim. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Chief."

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 - Prompt: Storm**

 

The Lazars were in the Starkville facility. Unfortunately, there were bureaucratic steps to follow and the list of people who had had contact with Dominick and Vincent Lazar would take a few days to reach Major Crimes.

Meanwhile, although they were still working, Jim and Blair kept a low profile. They had passed the cases they had to other detectives, except the one that concerned them as potential victims, of course. However, for a seasoned observer, their appearance in the red truck could not go unnoticed in the garage of the CPD.

Ashton Williams had decided to follow in the footsteps of someone he had admired, the late Klaus Zeller. He was going to attack his targets at the very heart of Major Crimes. And _he_ would succeed.

A storm was forecast for the night. But that wouldn’t stop him. He had already obtained the uniform that would allow him to enter. He carried two small hidden machine guns, like the ones Zeller had brought. And he was wearing a kevlar vest.

Despite what had happened with Zeller relatively recently, there was no one asking for IDs to enter Major Crimes. Williams had feared that security measures would have increased, but that wasn’t the case. Maybe they thought no one would try the same thing again.

He left the elevator and once in the corridor, through the windows he could see Ellison and Sandburg at their desks. Perfect targets. It was going to be easier than he had thought.

 

...............................................

 

Blair got up from his desk and approached Jim's. He had a strange feeling that he had to be near his Sentinel.

"Jim, when are the Starkville papers going to arrive?"

"Possibly tomorrow, Chief."

Suddenly, Blair had the feeling that someone was staring at him. He was going to tell Jim, when he saw that his partner was looking through the window that led to the corridor.

"Williams!" Jim yelled, as he heard the sound of a gun being cocked. A second after they both threw themselves to the ground, Williams started firing.

As on the day of Zeller's attack, the bullpen was transformed into a chaos of glass and objects flying to pieces. The detectives and policemen who were there also threw themselves to the floor. Jim and Blair took their weapons and prepared to respond to the fire, but it was impossible, Williams's shots were continuous.

Banks, inside his office, had also thrown himself on the floor.

"Jim! What the hell is going on?" Banks yelled.

"It's Williams, sir! He came to kill us!"

"Yes, Ellison!" Williams shouted, "I came to kill you and Sandburg. If you don’t get out of there, I'm going to kill everyone here. Can you hear me?"

"You'll never get out of here alive!" Blair told him, "You won’t live to collect Lazar's money."

"How do you know that ?!" Williams shouted. He was shocked. How did they know that Vincent Lazar had hired him?

Williams started firing again, madly. Soon he ran out of bullets. Jim noticed and got up from his hiding place behind the desk. He shot him three times in the chest. The hit man was thrown on the floor.

"Is he dead?" Blair asked.

"No, he's wearing a kevlar vest, like Zeller," Jim answered, and went out into the corridor. There was no sign of Williams.

"Where did he go?" asked Blair, who was standing beside him. Taggart had also approached them. Jim started to listen. He could hear the heartbeat of Williams going up the stairs.

"He's going to the roof, like Zeller," he said, and headed after him. Taggart put a hand on Blair's shoulder and said, "He knew it because of his Sentinel senses, right?"

"We can talk about that later, Joel, now I have to go help Jim."

"I'm going with you, Blair."

The two ran out to the roof. While they were arriving, they heard the exchange of shots and realized that Williams had a handgun he hadn’t used when he attacked the bullpen.

When they arrived, they saw that Jim was holding his left arm with his right hand. He had been hit by a bullet.

"Jim!" said Blair, as he came running up to him.

"I'm fine, partner. Williams jumped off the roof, like Zeller. Help me get closer."

They approached the edge of the roof and looked down. Williams was going down hanging on a rope.

This time it was Taggart who asked, "What are we going to do, pull him up or knock him off?"

The thunderstorm that had been forecast was unleashed at that moment. Lightning flashed in the sky.

Blair thought, _How nice it would be if lightning hit him now._

Williams looked up and saw the three detectives looking at him. He took his gun and shot at them. The three crouched. At that moment, a powerful lightning bolt hit near them. They heard a scream, and then Jim heard the sound of a body hitting the ground.

The three approached the edge and looked down again. In the distance, on the ground, was Williams, dead. Jim could also see that the body was black, as if it had been burned.

"Did what I think happened actually happen?" Blair asked, astonished.

"If you think he was struck by lightning, I think you're right," Jim said.

"Divine justice," said Taggart.

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 - Epilogue**

 

When the papers from Starkville arrived, they could verify that John Haggard had been visiting Vincent Lazar, who was interrogated and finally admitted to having paid for the death of Ellison and Sandburg. A new conviction was added to his already long list of crimes. The Haggards also went to prison, after being captured when they tried to flee to Canada.

With the waters calm for the moment, Blair and Jim returned to the loft. After dinner, they went to watch the news on television, sitting on the sofa. They were reporting the strange death of Ashton Williams.

"Do you know something, Jim? I thought it would be good if he was to be hit by lightning, just before it happened."

Jim looked at him in amazement. He didn’t want to believe that his friend thought he had something to do with the lightning. Surely. It was something very close to believing that he had superpowers.

As if he knew what he was thinking, Blair said, "I don’t think I had anything to do with that, Jim. Don’t even think about it.

"It's a horrible death, I don’t wish it to my worst enemy, not even him," he continued.

That fit better with the image Jim had of Blair. Generous and deeply good. He smiled and raised the arm that was healthy, the right (the left was in a sling), and put it on Blair’s shoulders. He pressed his hand on Blair's shoulder and pulled him close to him. At that moment, he remembered his thinking about personal space, as it was almost non-existent between them.

"Chief, the other day I was thinking that we’re always in each other’s personal space. I thought how strange it was that it didn’t bother me."

"That's because you love me." Blair immediately bit his lower lip, that had slipped from him. He closed his eyes, waiting for Jim's reaction.

"Do I love you?" Jim asked himself. He was thinking, frowning. He looked at Blair, who continued with his eyes closed. He realized that the fear he had felt that Williams was successful with his mission, was fear of not seeing Blair anymore. Fear of losing Blair. He loved him, he really loved him.

"Blair, look at me." The former anthropologist opened his eyes, cautiously. "What would you say if I told you I love you?"

"As a friend? As a brother?" Blair asked.

Jim smiled. "No, Blair, more than that."

Blair's eyes filled with tears. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. But it was true. Jim was saying that he loved him.

"Oh, Jim! I would tell you that I love you too. I'm in love with you."

"Can I kiss you?" Jim asked. Blair smiled.

"Yes, Jim, I want to kiss you too."

They tentatively approached each other. Finally, their lips touched. Both felt as if an electric current had passed through them, from their mouths to the tips of their feet. Jim asked permission with his tongue and Blair parted his lips to let him in. The kiss deepened. Jim could feel the flavors of all the food his friend had eaten in the day, but beneath them, the authentic taste of Blair, his personal flavor. He fixed it indelibly in his sensory memory, along with his scent and the sound of his heart.

When they separated, they both looked into each other's eyes, full of emotion.

"Jim, you can’t imagine how happy it makes me to know that you love me."

"I knew that you loved me. Since the press conference," Jim said, "but I didn’t know what I was feeling, until now."

"Yes, Jim, I did that for love."

Jim got up from the couch and extended his hand to Blair. "Would you do me the honor of sleeping with me? Just sleep, because I'm not in a fit state to do anything else."

Blair grinned. "Yes, it will be an honor for me to sleep with you."

They took each other's hands and headed towards the stairs.

 

The end

 


End file.
